Andrew Bache was born 29 December 1939, the son of the late Robert Philip Sidney Bache, OBE and Jessie Bache; he was educated at Shrewsbury School, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge (MA). In 1963 he married Shân Headley; two sons one daughter.

Bache joined the Diplomatic Service in 1963, serving as: 3rd Secretary, Nicosia [Cyprus], 1964-66; Treasury Centre for Administrative Studies, 1966; 2nd Secretary, Sofia [Bulgaria], 1966-68; Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1968-71; 1st Secretary, Lagos [Nigeria], 1971-74; FCO, 1974-78; 1st Secretary (Commercial), Vienna [Austria], 1978-81; Counsellor and Head of Chancery, Tokyo [Japan], 1981-85; Counsellor, Ankara [Turkey], 1985-87; Head of Personnel Services Department, FCO, 1988-90; on secondment as Diplomatic Service Chairman to CSSB, 1990-91; Ambassador to Romania, 1992-96; Ambassador to Copenhagen [Denmark], 1996-99.

Bache was awarded the CMG in 1992.